Local authority SEND teams are working hard to improve the quality and consistency of Education, Health and Care Plans.

But one concern comes up consistently: how to improve quality without disrupting existing templates and workflows.

In this video, we explore how councils are approaching this challenge and what’s emerging from that work.

Why this matters

Every local authority has developed its EHCP template for a reason.

It reflects local processes, language, inspection history, and what schools and families expect to see.

When templates or workflows change:

• Staff confidence can drop  
• Training requirements increase  
• Schools and families may find plans unfamiliar  
• Change fatigue can slow adoption  
• Improving quality needs to work with what already exists – not replace it.

What we’re seeing in practice

From working with councils across England, we see how important familiarity is to successful delivery.

Even when new approaches improve technical quality, changes to format or structure can create friction in practice. Plans may meet requirements, but feel unfamiliar to the people using them.

That’s why many councils are focusing on improving quality within existing templates and workflows, rather than replacing them entirely.

In practice, this means retaining local EHCP structures, wording and formats, while improving drafting and quality assurance behind the scenes and supporting greater consistency without requiring teams to relearn processes. When this approach is taken, adoption is faster, resistance is lower, and improvements are more sustainable.

How councils are responding

Councils are increasingly prioritising solutions that adapt to local practice.

Rather than introducing new templates, the focus is on:

• Working within existing documents and workflows  
• Strengthening clarity, consistency and quality through better processes  
• Reducing training burden and disruption  
• This allows teams to improve EHCPs in a way that feels practical and manageable.

‍Part of the Spotlight Series

This video is part of our Inside EHCP Genie: The Spotlight Series, where we've shared insights from working alongside local authorities.

Episodes in the series:

• The Golden Thread  
• Specific and quantified provision  
• SMART outcomes
• Gaps, inconsistencies and contradictions
• Retaining local templates and workflows

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